Category: Structures

Monday, September 4, 2023

Explore Structure Five and the ‘Great Wall’ with new 3d model of Trench J

Another new 3d model, this time of Trench J and featuring Structure Five and the northern boundary wall – the earliest structures revealed on site. Trench J was the first… Read more

Structures / Video

Thursday, August 31, 2023

Video – Drone view of Structure Eight

Another of Jim Rylatt's drone videos, this time focusing on Structure Eight, the longest of the piered buildings excavated on site. Read more

Structures

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

The updates begin…

With the 2023 excavation over, it’s time to start updating the website material to take into account this season’s finds. We’ve started with the easy ones, which are now available… Read more

Structures / Video

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Video – Structure One from above

Another short video from Jim Rylatt, this time a 360-degree flyaround of Structure One, the first building found on site back in March 2003. Note that the walls at the… Read more

Structures / Video

Sunday, August 20, 2023

Video – Drone flyaround of Trench J

A short video of Trench J from Jim Rylatt, showing Structure Five and the northern boundary wall. Read more

3D Model / Structures

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Diary Extra – 3d model shows where three structures meet

Another new model from Paul Durdin, showing the small, but complex, area, beside Structure Twelve’s western, central pier. Where buildings like Twelve have been built over the top of earlier… Read more

Structures / Video

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Video: Structure Twelve – ‘The hammer(stone) house of horrors’

Site director Nick Card's 2023 pre-dig lecture in Kirkwall, recorded by Orkney Archaeology Society in June as part of their OAS Legacy Project. Read more

Structures

Sunday, July 16, 2023

Diary Extra – In and around Structure Twenty-Seven

Before excavation resumes in Structure Twenty-Seven tomorrow, Sigurd took the chance to get some pictures of this stunning – but enigmatic – building. Click on any of the images for… Read more

Excavation / Structures

Sunday, July 9, 2023

Diary Extra – Around Trench P

A selection of photographs from Friday, recording elements of some of Trench P’s structures. For more information on any of the buildings featured, see the Structures section.… Read more

Excavation / Structures

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Investigate Trench T and Structure Twenty-Seven

Not long to go now! Work to uncover the site begins on Monday, but here’s an aerial view of Trench T and Structure Twenty-Seven from 2022. Zoom in, pan, explore… Read more

Structures

Monday, June 19, 2023

Structure Thirty

Structure Thirty in relation to the other piered buildings in Trench P. The large curving wall face belonging to Structure Thirty protrudes from the edge of Trench P to the… Read more

Excavation / Structures

Friday, June 16, 2023

Zoom in and explore Trench J

Zoom in and pan around high-resolution images of Trench J from 2021 and 2022. Read more

Section of Trench P (Hugo Anderson-Whymark)

Excavation / Structures

Monday, June 12, 2023

Get up close to the archaeology in Trench P

An overhead view of Trench P at the end of the 2019 season – the last time it was completely uncovered. Zoom in for a close-up view of the… Read more

Overhead view of the Structure Twelve eastern annexe at the end of excavation in 2019. (Scott Pike)

Structures

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Where the eastern annexe fits into the story of Structure Twelve

2018: A view over Structure Twelve’s shoddy northern annexe. (📷 Scott Pike) Cast your mind back to 2019 and you’ll remember there was great excitement in Structure Twelve’s eastern end… Read more

Structure Eight under investigation. (ORCA)

Excavation / Structures

Monday, March 20, 2023

Stone roofing at the Ness of Brodgar

A new section outlining the the evidence for stone “tiled” roofs at the Ness and what these might have looked like. Click here to read.… Read more

Structures

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Structure Thirty-Two additions bring Trench J up-to-date

With an entry running to a mere four paragraphs, Structure Thirty-Two hadn’t received much love on the website! But that’s been fully remedied now with an updated summary of what… Read more

Structures

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Do post-holes represent a timber building beneath Structure Five?

We mentioned it briefly during last summer’s dig diary, but we’ve got another update to Structure Five’s page today, covering the possibility that there may be an earlier, timber building… Read more

Standing Stones / Structures

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

The central paved area and standing stone

An update to our excavation background section this week, dealing with the “central paved area” and standing stone between Structures One, Eight, Twelve and Twenty-Nine. Click here to read.… Read more

Structures

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Structure Twenty-Seven – updated and expanded

This summer we returned to Trench T for the first time since 2019. There, the focus was on Structure Twenty-Seven, a large building that had been badly robbed of stone… Read more

Structures

Friday, September 30, 2022

Structure Five – updated and rewritten

Our understanding of Structure Five, the oldest building excavated on site to date, has come on in leaps and bounds. So we’ve completely updated its entry to reflect this.… Read more

Category: Structures

Dig Background